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First Houses of Bound Brook. 



DELIVERED BEFORE THE 

WASHINGTON CAMP GROUND ASSOCIATION 

/ 

BY REV. T. B. DAVIS, 

AT THE RESIDENCE OF THE HON. GEORGE LA MONTE, 



>Jb WASHINGTON'S BIRTHDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1X93. 



PUBLISHED BY THE ASSOCIATION. 

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BOUND BROOK, N. J.: 

The Chronicle: Steam TniNTERY, 
1893. 



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PREFACE. 



Since this address was delivered, many additions and cor- 
rectlons have been mjiHe «4,;*.i, - 

form. appear m this enl "ged 

I have made a long and careful research of the old literature 
» the vanous historical societies, and among the conn, e Cord s 

of i ■ p° s,v r comp,ete and auth ™ tk a t - S 

of the "Fmsr Houses or Bound Brook." I am under special 
ohhgatmn to Messrs. John Bush and A. C. Mo.hson and nay 
others for valuable information. y 

My thanks are due to many kind friends of the Camp Ground 
Assoc.at.on, who have greatly encouraged and helped me „ h 
arduous work of thus revealing the historic pas, of Bound Brook 

Bound Brook, June 2? . l8g3 . T ' E ' DaV,S ' 






StaAts House. 

See page 




pirst Rouses of Bound BrooR. 



Mr. President, members of the Washington Camp 
Ground Association, and invited guests : 

fE ARE gathered to-day on historic ground. 
Around us are a hundred reminders of that 
most eventful period in American history, 
when these colonies became an independent nation. 
Across these fields, and o'er these highways, passed 
those noble men who laid the foundation stones of 
this Temple of Liberty. The soil we tread is con- 
secrated ground, hallowed by the sorrows and blood 
and dust of that patriot band, who struggled, suffered 
and died for their country. 

Loyal men and true women were they who lived in 
Bound Brook in 1776. No greater honor was ever 
paid to any American citizen, than when it was de- 
clared that, because of continued resistance to the 
authority of Great Britain, Hendrick Fisher, Tobias 
Van Norden, Abraham Staats and Peter Harpending, 
all of Bound Brook, should not be included in the 
general amnesty offered to all the citizens of the 
American colonies in 1776. Noble men, indeed, were 
they, and these old houses where once they lived, 
these fields they tilled, their ancestry still with us, 
are all reminders of the heroic past. And to-day 
from every road and hilltop, from many a Revolu- 
tionary house still standing, from yonder old camp 
ground where every national holiday there floats the 
ilag of freedom, from yonder mountain top where 
often stood the Father of his Country, from every 
memorial stone above our sleeping heroes, there arises 
a cloud of witnesses through whose testimony we are 



v 



A 



First Houses of Bound Brook. 



brought to love and keep this priceless heritage of our 
native land. We are, indeed, on historic ground, for 
to-day we are on the very site of the first house in 
Bound Brook and in Somerset county, and so it is 
fitting that I should take as my subject 

THE FIRST HOUSES OF BOUND BROOK. 

At the time of the Revolution, as nearly as I can 
determine, there were thirty-five houses between the 
Bound brook and the Middle brook, the Raritan 
river and the Blue hills. South of the Raritan 
river, in South Bound Brook and vicinity, there were 
ten or twelve houses, and about the same number in 
the vicinity of Greenbrook and Fieldville. With one 
or two exceptions, I shall only speak of those houses 
that were located between the brooks and on the 
north side of the river. 

The tract of land in which is the borough of Bound 
Brook was purchased from the Indians in May, 1681. 
The purchasers were eight men, among whom was 
Philip Carteret, Governor of the Province of New 
Jersey. This land was bought for speculative pur- 
poses probably, as only one of the purchasers occu- 
pied any portion of it, the remainder being divided 
and sold to other parties. Thomas Codrington, one of 
the original purchasers, received as his share of the 
land 877 acres, lying between the Middle brook and 
what is now Vosseller avenue, fronting on the Raritan 
River and running back to the Blue hills. 

CODRINGTON HOUSE. 

Here he built a house in 1683, which was the 
first dwelling house in Bound Brook and in Somerset 
county. The present residence of the Hon. George 
LaMonte is on the exact site of the original house of 
Codrington. Codrington gave to his place the Indian 
name of Racawachanna (the loomy flat by the run- 
ning brook.) The house was built on a slight 
elevation of ground, sloping on all sides, which 
tradition says was an Indian mound where the 
Raritan tribe buried their dead. If this be true, it 
is the cause for the belief of the past -generations that 



First Houses of Bound Brook. 



the house was haunted. So strong was the fear pro- 
duced by this belief that many of the colored servants 
dared not go out alone at night, expecting that some 
Indian ghost would surely carry them away. 

Thomas Codrington sold his property in 1700 to 
Aaron Lazaider, and from that time for nearly 100 years 
the house was owned and occupied by the Lazaider 
family through three generations. A large addition 
was built to this house in the early part of this cen- 
tury, probably by Alexander Campbell, who was the 
owner until August 4, 1817. In the spring of 1854 
Daniel Talmage took down the entire building erected 
by Codrington, removed the Campbell addition to its 
site, and built an entirely new house adjoining on the 
south. This was the end of the history of the first 
house in Bound Brook, it having stood for over one 
hundred and seventy years, and having been the 
home of many a prominent man among its twelve 
owners. Thomas Codrington three times received an 
appointment as a member of the Governor's council. 
Dr. Samuel Swan, who resided here from 1827 to the 
time of his death in 1844, was a United States Con- 
gressman for twelve years. Thomas A. Hartwell, 
living here in 1845, was one of the most prominent 
lawyers of Somerset county. By persons now living, 
and who once resided in the original Codrington 
house, it is described as a most quaint and curious 
building, unlike any other house of ancient date in 
Bound Brook. There was no second story or no 
cellar. The roof was very steep, with a wide pro- 
jection coming nearly to the windows. The upper 
and lower window sashes were of different sizes, the 
upper containing three rows of glass, the lower only 
two. The size of the panes of glass was about five by 
seven. The house contained seven rooms, four of 
which were for sleeping. The fire places were very 
large, covering nearly one whole side of the room, and 
it is said were large enough to receive a cord of wood 
at once. Hard wood shingles, very large in size, were 
used for siding. The present name of this old home- 



6 First Houses of Bound Brook. 

stead, "The Evergreens," was given by Daniel Talmage, 
who also set out the beautiful arbor vita? hedge. This 
old homestead during the two hundred and ten years 
of its existence has had twenty-one owners. 

CAMPBELL HOUSE. 

This was the second house erected in Bound Brook. 
It was built in 1684 by John Campbell, son of Lord 
Neill Campbell, of Scotland. The exact location I 
have been unable to fix, but I think it was near the 
north bank of the Baritan river, and south of the 
present Central railroad depot, and not on the south 
side of the river as some early histories indicate. This 
is not what the old people of Bound Brook know as 
the Campbell house, to which reference will after- 
ward be made. Lord Neill Campbell, with his brother 
the Duke of Argyle, and the two sons of each, had 
been engaged in a rebellion against their own govern- 
ment which ended disastrously. Lord Neill' s sons, John 
and Archibald, fled from Scotland and came to New 
Jersey. Archibald settled on the north side of the 
Raritan river, near the mouth of the Millstone river. 
John came to Bound Brook and built a "large and 
pretentious dwelling." He probably lived here for 
only one year, for in 1685 he bought a tract of land in 
South Branch, and from that year we hear nothing 
more from him in Bound Brook. Of the history of 
the Campbell house almost nothing is known. During 
its last days it was in a very dilapidated condition 
and was occupied by a family of Jews. All the rains 
of the house had disappeared as early as 1815. John 
Campbell's son Archibald had a daughter Jannette 
who married Tobias Van Norden. She was the great- 
grandmother of Archibald Campbell Van Norden 
Mollison, our honored citizen. 

JEW HOUSE. 

Many of our older citizens call this the Campbell 
house. This is due to the fact that a few years before 
its destruction if was in possession of Ellas Campbell. 
Aaron Lazaider, a Jew, had been a merchant in New 
York City. He retired from business in 1698, cam* 1 to 



First Houses of Bound Brook. 



Bound Brook and built the " Jew House." He lived 
here only two years and in 1700 bought Racawacahana 
from Thomas Codrington and lived there until his 
death, in 1744. He still retained possession of the 
"Jew House." Two children survived him, a son 
Moses, and a daughter Catherine who married her 
father's employe, John R. Myers. Moses inherited 
Racawacahana, and Catherine the "Jew House " She 
with her husband had already been living in this 
same house since 1738. They continued to reside here 
until they died, she in 1762 and he in 1765, both being 
very old. His age is given as 92. The " Jew House" 
was left to a daughter, who was then a widow, and 
who was living in the house during the early period of 
the Revolution. She was an enthusiastic Tory, and 
when in the spring of 1777 Lord Cornwallis with the 
British army had possession of Bound Brook, he and 
his staff, by invitation of its mistress, made the " Jew 
House" their headquarters. She was a rich widow 
and was wooed and won by one of the officers of Corn- 
wallis' staff. Soon after, she left Bound Brook with 
her husband and never again visited her early home. 
The property was confiscated and sold to other owners, 
who occupied it until 1784, when John R. Myers, Jr., 
the son of John R. Myers and Catherine Lazaider, 
returned to Bound Brook and brought suit for the 
property. The regular form of confiscation had not 
been complied with and he won his suit, regaining 
possession of the house with lands attached. He sold 
it in 1785 to Tobias Van Norden. It afterward passed 
into the hands of Elias Campbell. It was sold to 
Jeremiah Fisher after Campbell's death, and was 
finally bought by the railroad company, who tore it 
down to build their roadway. The house stood almost 
directly south of the Presbyterian Church and about 
one hundred yards east of the present Central railroad 
depot. The "Jew House" was probably the finest 
building in Bound Brook for many years. It had 
large and handsome double parlors, a luxury only 
enjoyed by the very wealthy in those early days. The 



8 First Houses of Bound Brook. 

partitions between those rooms were inlaid with alter- 
nate stripes of black walnut and white oak. The 
closets and cupboards had beautiful glass doors, the 
sashes of which were entirely covered with gilding, 
as were also the shelves inside. The exposed beams 
in the house were ornamented with beautiful carvings 
in high relief, and to show these more perfectly the 
beams were painted white. Some of our oldest citi- 
zens still remember the old 'Mew House 1 ' in its latter 
days, when the glory had departed from it and decay 
was seen on every side. 

These were the first houses in Bound Brook and 
probably the only ones built before 1700. During 
the year 1700 nearly all the land included in the pres- 
ent borough of Bound Brook, the western line being 
the mountain road, now Vosseller avenue, was sold to 
George Cussart, Jacob De Groot and Samuel Thomp- 
son, each of whom erected houses during this same 
year. 

CUSSART HOUSE. 

This house stood on the present site of the Mansion 
House. It was built in 1700 by George Cussart, who 
owned all the land between the Bound Brook and 
Mountain avenue, fronting on the Raritan river. 
George Cussart died about 1740 and David Cussart, 
probably his son, came into possession of the prop- 
erty. During the Revolution the Cussart house was 
used as a hotel. It was known as the "Washington 
Hotel," from a large swinging sign in front of it, on 
which was painted a portrait of Washington on 
horseback. Peter Staats was the landlord. He was 
a brother of Col. John Staats, of Revolutionary fame, 
and like him was a true friend to the cause of Ameri- 
can liberty. More than one Tory who dared to uphold 
the British cause in the presence of Peter Staats, felt 
the power that lay in that strong patriot's arms. As 
a result of his loyalty he suffered very much from the 
depredations of the British soldiers. When Col. 
Simcoe with the " Queen's Rangers,'' 1 a band of 
native Americans who had enlisted in t)\t> army of 



First Houses of Bound Brook. 9 

Great Britain, passed through Bound Brook on the 
memorable raid of October 26, 1777, they stopped at 
this hotel and robbed it of everything valuable which 
they could carry with them. After many changes 
and improvements the old Cussart house was entirely 
destroyed by the great fire of 1881. 

DE GROOT HOUSE. 

This house was about one hundred and fifty feet 
back from Main street, its site now being covered by 
the chapel of the Roman Catholic Church, and the 
barn belonging to Mr. O. B. Reynolds. It was built 
in 1700 by Jacob De G-root, who was the son of Peter 
De Groot, a French Protestant, who came from 
Rochelle, France, to America and settled in New 
York City. Jacob De Groot owned over one thous- 
and acres of land all in one tract, although purchased 
of different parties and at different times. His first 
purchase of 585 acres, of which the present Mountain 
avenue was the eastern line, was in possession of the 
De Groot family for 143 years, no portion of it being 
sold until after the death of Judge Jacob De Groot, 
the grandson of Jacob De Groot, the original owner. 
The house was a frame building, a well-built, sub- 
stantial structure, as were all the dwellings of that 
period. It faced to the south and had a large kitchen 
on the west end, which was occupied by the slaves, of 
whom the De Groot family always had a large num- 
ber. One of these, known as Mammy Betts, lived to 
the extreme age of 115 years. During Washington's 
encampment near Bound Brook he accepted the 
invitation of Jacob De Groot, Jr., and was hospitably 
entertained at his home. This Jacob De Groot of the 
Revolution was a captain of the militia, and a loyal 
citizen. The British made several attempts to cap- 
ture him, but unsuccessfully. At one time his wife, 
seeing the enemy coming, hid him in the large brick 
oven, filling the front with wood, which she was in 
the act of setting on fire as they entered the house. 
Never for a moment supposing that the object of 
their search could be in that oven, they looked care- 



10 First Houses of Bound Brook. 

fully in other parts of the house and then left confi- 
dent that he was beyond their reach. At another 
time a band of British marauders broke into the 
house and took such things as pleased them. Jacob 
De Groot was sick in an upper room. One of the 
officers finding him, drew his sword with the intention 
of killing him. Mrs. De Groot sprang forward, 
grasping the blade of the sword, and saved the life of 
her husband, but her hand was so severely cut that a 
scar remained until her death. Jacob De Groot and 
his wife lived to a good old age, and died in the old 
homestead on July 13 and July 22, 1848; she dying 
first, and only nine days before his death. They had 
lived together for 68 years. The three families of De- 
Groots, Jacob, John and Jacob, father, son and 
grandson, had lived in this house for 143 years. The 
father and son were buried on their own farm, while 
the grandson rests in his vault in the old Presbyterian 
burying ground. The De Groot house was burned in 
1852. 

THOMPSON HOUSE. 

Samuel Thompson owned 438 1-2 acres of land east 
of Vosseller avenue. Here he built his house in 1700. 
It was east of the Fisher Hotel in Middlebrook, and 
at the union of Main street and Vosseller avenue. 
Thompson lived here only a few years, for soon after 
we find the property in possession of Thomas Clawson, 
who sold it to William Wortman in 1720. In 1786 it 
was bought by Dr. Clarkson Freeman, who sold it to 
Tunis Ten Eick, and by him was sold to the Trustees 
of the Presbyterian Church, and used as the parsonage 
for the pastor of the church, Rev. Israel Read, who 
lived here until his sad death from an accident on 
November 28, 1793. When the Rev. David Barclay 
became pastor of the church, he bought the property 
of the trustees, and resided there until he removed 
from Bound Brook in 1805. The house was finally 
bought by the Central Railroad of New Jersey and 
pulled down in 1856. 

There were two houses standing in the western part 



First Houses of Bound Brook. 11 



of Bound Brook, known as Middlebrook, in the very 
early part of the 18th century, perhaps as early as 
1700, according to some ancient records. These 
houses were both built by William Harris. They 
are known at the present day as the Merlett house 
and Fisher Hotel. 

MERLETT HOUSE. 

Of its early history very little is known. About 
1810 it was owned by Israel Harris, who was the 
sheriff of Somerset county, and who sold it to Peres 
Bonney. George Heberton, a store-keeper in Bound 
Brook, was living in Middlebrook from 1784 to 1805. 
From the deeds still in existence, there is good reason 
to believe that he owned this property, and lived in 
this house. The house is still standing, and is now 
occupied by a family of Hungarians. 

FISHER HOTEL. 

This was originally called "The Harris Tavern." 
It was the first hotel in Bound Brook and was built, 
and I believe has always been used, for this purpose. 
It is said that the first Masonic lodge in Somerset 
county was organized here. It is certain that in later 
years a Masonic lodge held its meetings in this build- 
ing. During the Revolution this house was called 
"The Middlebrook Hotel." It was a favorite resort 
of many of the officers of the army. In the low ceil- 
ing may be seen to-day many marks made by the 
bayonets of the British soldiers. Very few changes 
have been made in this ancient building. In outward 
form and appearance, and in the arrangement of the 
interior rooms, it is a true representation of the style 
of architecture in the Colonial days. 

In the year 1720 there was a "boom" in the real 
estate business in Bound Brook. As a result no less 
than eight houses were erected, six of them on Main 
street, during the year. Of these six, two are still 
standing. These six houses, taking them in order 
from east to west, were the Riddle house, Prant, 
Harpending, Van Court, Van Wagoner and Bonney 
houses. 



12 First Houses of Bound Brook. 

riddle house. 
This was built by William Riddle, who was prob- 
ably a son of Rev. Archibald Riddle, a Scotch min- 
ister who left his native land on account of the per- 
secution, and was one of the party of Sir George Scot, 
who came over in the ship " Henry and Francis," in 
1685, landing at Perth Amboy. William Riddle's 
house was on Main street, near the western line of 
the Presbyterian Church property. 

PRANT HOUSE. 

This was built by Dr. Cornelius Prant and stood 
a few feet east of the present residence of B. B. Mat- 
thews, M. D. Less than two years ago a pile of 
bricks and debris marked the site of the house, which 
is still remembered by marjy of our citizens. After 
the death of Dr. Prant the house was occupied by 
Mrs. Harpending, a daughter or niece of Dr. Prant, 
and her husband. It was sold to Dr. J onathan F. 
Morris in 1790, but he probably never lived in it. In 
1802 the property was sold to Joseph Bonney. 

HARPENDING HOUSE. 

This was the present house on Main street, owned 
by Dr. B. B. Matthews, part of which is used for his 
drug store and office. The eastern part of this build- 
ing is of more modern date, but it is quite certain that 
the western portion, with some changes, is the original 
house. Hendrick Harpending came from Lingen, 
Holland, to Bound Brook. He bought a strip of land 
about 200 feet wide fronting on Main street, and run- 
ning back to the Trembly line, now High street. His 
eastern boundary was Dr. Prant' s land, and the west- 
ern the land of Jacob De Groot. The only record we 
have of Hendrick Harpending is in the old deed con- 
veying the land to him by George Cussart. From this 
we learn that he was a cordwainer — a shoemaker — and 
probably the first of that occupation in Bound Brook. 
He died some years before the Revolution. His prop- 
erty passed into the hands of his son Peter, who used 
the house as a hotel, giving it the name of "The 
Frelinghuysen House," in honor of Major-general 



First Houses of Bound Brook. 13 



Frederick Frelinghuysen, of Somerset county. A 
large portrait of the General hung on the outside. 
This house was the scene of many notable gatherings 
during the Revolution. After the Declaration of 
American Independence was made public, the people 
all assembled on the street in front of this house and 
listened to the reading of the declaration of freedom 
by Hendrick Fisher, who was then President of the 
Provincial Congress of New Jersey, and who had 
exerted a strong influence in favor of independence. 
When he had finished reading, so great was the joy 
and enthusiasm of the people, that they mounted him 
upon their shoulders and paraded him through the 
street, while the old bell of Kell's Hall, then hanging 
in the belfry of the Presbyterian Church, was rung, 
cannons were fired and toasts drank by the patriots at 
the bar of the Frelinghuysen House. 

In 1793 the house and lands attached were pur- 
chased by Ambrose E. Cook, M. D., who came from 
Sussex county. He had a large and profitable prac- 
tice. He was a man of Herculean strength, and 
many stories are told of his wonderful power. He 
had many enemies, especially among the friends 
of his brother physicians. On one occasion a party 
of three came to the hotel, saying that they had 
come to give Dr. Cook a good thrashing. They sent a 
message to him stating their object. Without delay 
he hastened to the bar-room of the hotel, where he 
found the intended thrashers in waiting for him. 
Placing himself in a corner of the room, he said, 
"Come on now, boys." They came. The first one 
received a terrific blow from the doctor's fist that 
broke his arm; the second one was thrown so violently 
against a table that his limb was broken, and the 
third, seeing the fate of his comrades, ran away. The 
victorious physician could afford to be magnanimous, 
and he very kindly set the broken bones, no doubt 
giving some good advice without extra charge. Dr. 
Cook died in this house in 1828, and was buried in the 
Presbyterian burying ground. At this time there 



14 First Houses of Bound Brook. 

were no handles on the coffins. Three sticks were 
placed underneath, and six men at the ends carried 
the body to its resting place. Dr. Cook gave orders 
before his death, that a bier should be made, on which 
his coffin should be carried, and afterward should be 
placed on his grave and left there until it was needed 
at the next burial. This was done, and it remained 
there for twenty days. Some one wrote the following 
lines on a piece of paper and tacked it to the bier : 
" The lamented Dr. Cook did die, 
Yet memory ever brings him nigh ; 
We'll strew his grave with early flowers, 
And mourn his loss for that is ours." 
The two large maple trees in front of this house 
were set out by the two daughters of Dr. Cook, 
Althea and Ann, who afterward married Rev. John 
Boggs, the pastor of the Presbyterian Church. Dr. 
Abraham Skillman bought the property after the 
death of Dr. Cook, and lived here until his decease 
in 1862. He was a skillful and successful physician, 
and had the confidence of those among whom he 
practised. His son, Rev. Charles H. Skillman, a 
Presbyterian clergyman, was born in this house. 
After the death of Dr. Skillman the property was 
bought by Dr. Morey, who for several years was a 
practising physician here. In 1869 Dr. B. B. Mat- 
thews, the present owner, came into possession of the 
property. Thus for one hundred years it has been 
owned and occupied by physicians. 

VAN COURT HOUSE. 

Of the early history of this house we know only its 
date and first owner, who was Daniel Van Court. 
Jacob De Groot bought the house in 1830, and at his 
death left it by will to his nephew, who bore his name, 
Jacob DeGroot Swan, who was the son of Dr. Swan and 
Aletta De Groot. Alfred Cammann bought it in 1851 
of Clarissa Swan. His widow, with her son, Elias H., 
and his wife, now reside there. Many changes have 
been made in this house, which have changed its 
appearance. The dormer windows were put in by 



First Houses of Bound Brook. 15 

Jacob D. Swan. New windows, chimneys and a 
kitchen were added by Alfred Cammann. 

VAN WAGONER HOUSE. 

This is another of the early houses of Bound Brook, 
regarding which history is silent. It was built in 
1720, by Garret Van Wagoner, M. D., and stood 
on the south side of Main street, a short distance 
east of the Middlebrook railroad crossing. Many years 
ago there was an old building in this vicinity where 
Jacob Van Deventer made fanning mills. He had a 
secret for weaving screens, known only to himself. 
This was probably the old Van Wagoner house. 

BONNEY HOUSE. 

This is the last of the 1720 houses on Main street. 
To many of our citizens this is known as the Rocka- 
fellow house. It was built by Joseph Bonney, the 
great-great-grandfather of Benjamin J. Bonney, now 
living at South Bound Brook. The house, which 
stood on the site of James Brady's house, was de- 
stroyed by fire May 8, 1882. It was the first house on 
the north side of Main street, east of the railroad 
crossing at Middlebrook. During the Revolution, 
this tragic deed was performed that made the Bonney 
house famous in history and aroused the patriot's 
anger against the Tories. At this time Benjamin 
Bonney, the son of Joseph, was living here. A com- 
pany of British cavalry made a raid through Bound 
Brook. A number of Tories were with them as guides, 
among whom was Bill Stewart, a man well-known in 
Somerset county, and thoroughly hated by every loyal 
citizen, and in whose hand his life would have been 
worthless. When the British entered > the town, Mr. 
Bonney took his little boy Peres, then only four years 
old, and hid in the cellar. Stewart, prowling around 
the house, saw him sitting on the cellar steps with his 
boy in his lap. He fired upon him, the ball striking 
him in the left groin, from which he died the third 
day after. The boy Peres was not injured, but lived 
to become an active and useful citizen, filling im- 
portant positions in the county and in the church. 



16 First Houses of Bound Brook. 



Benjamin Bonney had been a blacksmith, and at his 
death left his wife with two little children in very- 
destitute circumstances. Through the kindness and 
charity of Jacob DeGroot and his wife, they were kept 
from actual suffering throughout the war. 

ANDERSON HOUSE. 

This house was located south of the lane leading to 
the residence of Hon. George LaMonte. It was built 
in 1720, by John Anderson, who resided here until 
1744. He sold the house to Tobias Van Norden, who 
probably never occupied it, and who sold it to Mat- 
thew Harrison, who was living there during the Revo- 
lution. A few years ago when Isaac J. Fisher owned 
the place, he plowed up a cow-bell with the inscrip- 
tion, "1777, M. H." When Alexander Campbell 
lived at Racawacahana he owned the Anderson house, 
and used it as a dwelling place for his slaves. The 
house has been destroyed for a number of years. 
After 1720, there is no record of any house being- 
built in Bound Brook until 1744, except the 

SCHOOL HOUSE, 

which stood on the church lot and a few feet west of 
the Presbyterian Church. This was built about 1742. 
The first teacher was John Wacker. He was followed 
by William Hedden, who taught until 1768, when he 
removed to Newark. Peter Welsh, a Scotchman, 
taught in this building until the new academy was 
built on Main street in 1800. This first school house 
was a long, low one-story building, and tradition says, 
"It was originally built as a meeting house for re- 
ligious purposes." 

In 1744 there was evidently another "boom" in 
Bound Brook, for no less than seven houses were 
built during that year, and all on Main street. These 
seven, beginning at the East, were the Kelso house, 
Williamson, Hude, Blackford, Stansbury, Irvine and 
Van Norden houses. 

KELSO MOUSE. 

Bartholomew Kelso bought the land of George Cus- 
sart and erected this dwelling. Its location was near 



First Houses of Bound Brook. 



17 



the present lower railroad crossing, on the east side of 
the street, and was the last house in the village. It 
passed away before the memory of the older persons 
now living had become active. 

PETER WILLIAMSON HOUSE. 

This is what is better known as the Battery house. 
It received this name during the Revolution when 
Gen. Benjamin Lincoln, who had his headquarters 
here, erected a block house almost in front of his 
house, in which cannon were placed to guard the 
crossing of the river and the road from New Bruns- 
wick. This house has met with as few changes, 
according to tradition, as any of the ante-Revolu- 
tionary houses. It stands to-day more dilapidated 




Bonney House. 



but yet the same in form and outline as when first 
built one hundred and forty-nine years ago. In the 
early morning of April 13, 1777, Gen. Lincoln was 
suddenly awakened by the cry from his guards "to 
arms!" * He hastily arose to find himself and his 
little army almost surrounded by the British under 
the command of Lord Cornwallis. Springing to his 
horse, he with one of his aides, rallied his troops with 
great rapidity and led them between the two rapidly 
closing columns of the enemy and escaped to the 
mountain, with the loss of sixty men. All his bag- 
gage, papers and artillery fell into the hands of the 
enemy. After the war a family by the name of Con- 
net lived in this house. One of the sons, John Connet, 



18 First Houses of Bound Brook. 

was murdered by Samuel McDaniels, son of Col. Mc- 
Daniels, of Pluckamin. McDaniels came to Bound 
Brook one day, and after drinking freely, became 
reckless and quarrelsome. He finally became engaged 
in a fight with John Connet, whom he stabbed fatally 
with a knife. McDaniels was arrested, and upon 
being tried was found guilty, and was sentenced to be 
hung. Though every effort was made to get him 
clear, and a reckless band of men had determined to 
break open the jail and free the prisoner, yet justice 
had full sway, and Samuel McDaniels was hanged. 
He was the only white man ever hanged in Somerset 
county under civil law. History relates that no less 
than five men were executed in the county under 
military law during the Revolution, three near Wash- 
ington's Camp on the Middlebrook and two at Mt. 
Pleasant, near Finderne. Three men were also hung 
for horse-stealing across the street from the Elm Tree 
Tavern soon after the Revolution. This, however, is 
in Middlesex county. A family of Connets were still 
living in the Battery house as late as 1840. At one 
time, it is said, this house was kept as a hotel by a 
Mrs. Nester. This house is sadly neglected and in a 
very few years it will be numbered with the historic 
houses of the past. 

HUDE HOUSE. 

Built in 1744 by James Hade, son of Adam Hude, 
who had early taken up land near the mountain. It 
was located between the Presbyterian Church and the 
Battery House, on about the site of F. S. Carr's old 
meat market. Of the other residents after Hude, we 
know only that David Van Norden, son of Tobias, a 
captain in the Revolutionary army, once lived here. 

BLACKFORD HOUSE. 

This was built in 1744 by Anthony Blackford on 
land purchased from David Cussart. The house stood 
almost directly south of the Presbyterian Church 
across Main street. The house now owned by Law- 
rence Wells occupies the exact site. Anthony Black- 
ford had three sons, Daniel, Benjamin and Joseph. 



First Houses of Bound Brook. 



19 



The former two were soldiers in the Revolution. 
Joseph was the father of Hon. Isaac N. Blackford, 
Judge of the Supreme Court of the United States. 
Daniel Blackford continued to reside in the original 
Blackford house, and kept a store until his death, in 
1814. Ephraim Runyon lived in this house and had a 
tailor shop until about 1830, when he built the house 
now owned and occupied by P. O. Belding, on High 
street. The old house was torn down many years ago. 

STANSBURY HOUSE. 

This house was situated at the foot of Hamilton 
street, and on the south side of Main street. It was 
built in 1744 by Joseph Stansbury and occupied as his 




Be Groot House. (See page 9.) 



residence. How long he lived here we do not know. 
In 1754, according to an old deed, he sold the western 
portion of the vacant lot on Main street, now owned 
by A. C. Mollison, to Dr. Cornelius Prant. The 
Stansbury house in 1810 came into possession of John 
H. Voorhees, Esq. He resided here until 1835, when 
he built the residence on the hill now owned and 
occupied by the family of the late L. D. Cook. Mr. 
Voorhees built an addition to the old Stansbury 
house on the west end, which he used for a store and 
j)ost office. He was the second postmaster in Bound 
Brook, and retained the position for over twenty-five 
years in succession, from 1814 to 1839. In 1841 he was 
again appointed postmaster, and was succeeded by 
Jeremiah R. Field in 1853. During this second term 
the post office was kept in the same building. John 
H. Voorhees was also for a number of years a Justice 
of the Peace. In this house John D. Voorhees and 



20 First Houses of Bound Brook. 

his two sisters, Mrs. Van Deventer and Mrs. Brokaw, 
were born. John D. Voorhees was in partnership 
with his father for a number of years in this same 
store. Afterward he bought the entire business and 
continued as a merchant in the same building for a 
year, when he bought a house across the street and 
moved his business. Hiram Bush afterward kept 
store in the old Stansbury house, leasing it from John 
D. Voorhees. The land attached to the house was 
sold to Cook & Young, who used it for a coal and 
lumber yard, but John D. Voorhees retained possess- 
ion of the dwelling, renting it to different tenants 
until about 1860, when he took it down. It was here 
that our honored townsman, John Bush, was married 
May 15, 1839, to Mary Jane Anderson. After the 
death of Gilbert Stryker, at Gateville, his widow and 
children resided here, among them the late James 
Stryker and Mrs. James Vosseller. The house was a 
long, low, one-story building fronting to the north. 
An attic had two windows in the eastern end. Only 
one room was partitioned off and furnished in this 
attic. 

IRVINE HOUSE. 

This house was on Main street on the corner of the 
present location of Hamilton street. It was built by 
Thomas Irvine. The house was afterward known as 
the Marsellus house. It was here that Theodore F. 
Runyon, United States Minister to Germany, lived 
when a boy. 

VAN NORDEN HOUSE. 

This is the last of the houses in the village that 
were built in 1744. Tobias Van Norden had come to 
Bound Brook in 1738 and opened a store in a part of 
the "Jew House." He continued here in business for 
six years, when he bought a lot and built a house on 
the north side of Main street about thirty feet from 
the corner of Maiden lane, which was then simply a 
passage way to the buildings and lots in the rear. 
This building is described as a long, low, one and a 
half-story building, standing broadside to the street, 



First Houses of Bound Brook. 



21 



and having two dormer windows projecting from the 
roof. 

In the two west rooms, front and rear, he carried 
on his business as a merchant. He was also a baker. 
For this he had a separate building in the rear of his 
residence. His baking was mostly confined to ship 
bread, which he sold in New York, or exported direct 
to the West Indies by way of New Brunswick. He 
sold out his business in 1784 to George Heberton. 
The building was destroyed in 1856. 

MC EWER HOUSE. 

Many people remember a small house that stood 
back from Main street about two hundred feet, and 
near the eastern side of Cook &. Co.'s lumber 
yard. This was built in 1746 by Charles Mc Ewer, of 
whose further history we know only this: that he sold 
his property in 1774 to Thomas Darby for £35. It 
was sold in 1793 to John Bray. In the last days of 




Thompson House. (See page 10.-) 



the old house it was occupied by John Larney, who 
lived alone and who was said to be a miser, although 
his condition, by those who knew best, was said to be 
one of poverty. The building was destroyed many 
years ago. 

COOPER HOUSE. 

Thomas Cooper settled in Bound Brook in 1746. 
His house was one of the few on the south side of 
Main street in those early days. It was near the 
present "Union" hardware store, and I have reason 
to believe was the old building owned by the late 
Humphrey Mount, which he destroyed in 1869, for the 
purpose of erecting a new and more commodious 
dwelling. This new dwelling was burned in the great 



22 First Houses of Bound Brook. 

Bound Brook fire. It was in the old house that Elias 
Van Arsdale, a shoemaker, lived. He was one of the 
leading men in the organization of the Reformed 
Church of South Bound Brook. It was in this house 
that the Rev. Nathaniel H. Van Arsdale, D.D., of 
Paterson, assistant editor of the Christian Intelli- 
gencer, was born. 

HEDDEN HOUSE. 

William Hedden was the second school teacher in 
the old school house. He bought a lot of Hendrick 
Harpending in 1750, and built a house in which he 
lived until he left the village in 1768. The house was 
on Main street, on the site of the store of A. E. Grid- 
des. Hedden sold it to Thomas Coon, who sold it to 
Dr. Cook. He removed it to the rear of his lot and 
used it for a carriage house. 

FISHER HOUSE. 

In several old deeds there is mention of a house 
which stood on the north side of Main street, some- 
where near the present store and residence of James 
T. Ferry. This land was sold before 1720 to Hendrick 
Fisher, of South Bound Brook, and by him was sold 
in 1765 to John Compton. It is certain that the 
house was already built at this last date. In 1767 
John Compton sold it to Tobias Van Norden. By 
the old residents the house is still remembered and 
is called the Jennie Bailey house. Jennie Bailey was 
a daughter of John Larney, who lived in the Mc Ewer 
house. She was a widow and lived ht?re with her 
three children. The old house has been destroyed 
many years. 

COL. STAATS nOUSE. 

Col. John Staats, of Revolutionary fame, lived in 
an old house north of the Presbyterian burying 
ground. It was on the west side of East street, which 
was then a road leading up to Trembly' s, now Shep- 
herd's. The house stood fronting the east, and was 
built on the side hill, having a basement kitchen. 
Col. Staats had married Hannah, daughter of Peter 
Trembly. At her father's death, in 1797, she received 



First Houses of Bound Brook. 23 

as her portion one hundred and fifty acres of land, be- 
ing the southern half of the Trembly farm, extending 
to the present High street, and between East street 
and what is now Mountain avenue. She with her 
husband lived on this farm in the house above men- 
tioned until their death. The property passed into the 
hands of their son-in-law, Nathan Van Kirk, who 
lived here. The house is still remembered by many, 
and called the Van Kirk house. John ^taats was a 
colonel in the war of the Revolution, probably of the 
Minute Men, who were not regularly enlisted soldiers, 
but who were called on for local defense or in times of 
special danger. He rendered valiant service to the 
American cause, and more than once saved life and 
valuable property from the hands of British raiders. 
This old house is also one of the things of the past. 

TREMBLY HOUSE. 

This is still standing in a very dilapidated con- 
dition, at the good old age of one hundred and 
seventy-three years. It stands a few feet east of the 
present Shepherd residence, and for many years was 
occupied by the Shepherd family. Thomas Rudyard 
bought this property in 1683 from the eight pro- 
prietors, who bought all of the present borough of 
Bound Brook, their land extending to the Blue hills. 
George Cussart bought it in 1700, and in 1720 sold 
three hundred acres of it to Ebenezer Trembly. He 
built the old house in the same year. After his death 
the property was owned by his son Peter Trembly, 
who, dying in 1797, left his land in two equal parts to 
his two daughters, Susan, wife of Tunis Ten Eyck, 
and Hannah, wife of Col. John Staats. Tunis Ten 
Eyck and wife occupied the old Trembly homestead. 
They afterward sold it to Henry Shepherd, the father 
of Reune and L. V. D. Shepherd. In the old deeds of 
the Trembly estate, the brook on the eastern boundary 
is called the Bound brook. It is now known as the 
Greenbrook. Why, and when the change of name, I 
have not been able to ascertain. 

At Middlebrook, there were standing a century ago, 



24 First Houses of Bound Bkook. 

three old houses of whose origin I can get no informa- 
tion. 

Where the 

MC BRIDE HOUSE 

Now stands, was a very old building which was taken 
down by the late J ames McNabb, who built the pres- 
ent house on the same ground. In the early part of 
this century, the old house was occupied by William 
Beardsley until 1835. He was a tanner and currier, 
and also carried on the shoe-making business. Caleb 
C. Brokaw also lived in this house. 

MO KISSACK HOUSE. 

This original dwelling stands east of the former 
house, and near the western end of Middlebrook, on 
the south side of Main street. The first owner and 
builder of the house is not known. It certainly is 
one of the very oldest in this vicinity. In 1731 it was 
sold by the executors of William Stewart to Dr. John 
Griffith. Before Stewart owned it, the old deeds state 
that it had been in possession of William Wortman. 
Dr. Griffith sold it to Dr. Jonathan F. Morris. Dr. 
Samuel Swan bought it of Dr. Morris, and sold it to 
Joseph Bonney, from whom Dr. William Mc Kissack 
bought it in 1803, and lived in it until his death in 
1831. Dr. McKissack was a successful physician, 
having a large practice both in Somerset and Middle- 
sex counties. His wife was a daughter of Col. Wil- 
liam McDonald, of Revolutionary fame. His son, 
William D. Mc Kissack, was also a physician, and a 
captain in the war of 1812, and afterward a Brigadier 
General of the state militia. The old house has met 
with many changes during its long history, but in its 
essential features it is still the original building. 

A short distance north of the western Middlebrook 
railroad crossing are four large trees. These mark 
the site of what was known as the 

CALEB MORTON HOUSE. , 

Caleb Morton was for many years the principal of 
the Bound Brook Academy. It was from him that 
the Hon. Theodore P. Runyon, the present United 



First Houses of Bound Brook. 25 

States Minister to Germany, received his first school 
instruction. Caleb Morton owned this house and 
lived in it while teaching. He afterward sold it to 
James Mc Nabb, now deceased. It afterward came 
into possession of George La Monte, by whom it was 
destroyed. The date on the corner stone was 1752. 
By whom built or occupied, history or tradition does 
not relate. During the Revolution there is some rea- 
son for believing it was the home of Isaac Davis, an 
intimate friend of Washington, and at whose house 
the great general spent many a pleasant hour. 

Between Bound Brook and the Blue hills, there 
were and are yet, some very old buildings. 

MC ELRATH HOUSE. 

Where the heirs of Stephen Brown now live, on 
Vosseller avenue, was a house built in 1700, and occu- 
pied by Thomas McElrath, and afterward by his son 
Thomas, who was a soldier in the Revolution. Both 
were at different times elders in the Presbyterian 
Church of Bound Brook. This house was a long, low 
building, facing the south, with three front rooms 
each having an outside door. The roof on the rear of 
the house was much wider than in front, and extended 
to within a few feet of the ground. A part of the 
building was made of logs. This house was re-placed 
by the present dwelling a few years ago. 

MORRIS HOUSE. 

Where the Mather house was burned a few years 
ago, Dr. Jonathan F. Morris lived after the Revolu- 
tion. By whom and when built I do not know. Dr. 
Morris was a surgeon and lieutenant in the Revolu- 
tionary army. After taking up his residence here, he 
continued the practice of medicine, in which he was 
evidently very successful, for among the old records of 
deeds in Somerset county, his name appears very fre- 
quently as having sold property. Dr. Morris removed 
to Somerville, where he died in 1810. He is buried by 
the side of the. Presbyterian Church in Bound Brook. 
The Morris house was afterward purchased by 



26 First Houses of Bound Brook. 

Thomas Smith, and was the birthplace of his son ex- 
Councilman Peter H. Smith. The house was taken 
down by Thomas Smith in 1844, and the new house 
built in its place which was burned. 

BROWN HOUSE. 

Near the camp ground, and a few hundred yards 
east of the house of the late Benjamin Brown, is still 
standing a very old dwelling. This is j>robably the 
house built by Israel Brown, a tailor, early in 1700. 

A mention of the First Houses of Bound Brook 
would not be complete, without the 

VAN HORN HOUSE. 

This is still standing on the west side of the Midclle- 
brook, north of the mill, and is known as the Herbert 
House. During the Revolution, this was one of the 
most famous houses in Bound Brook and its vicinity. 
It was then called a "large mansion." Philip Van 
Horn, formerly a merchant in JSTew York, lived here. 
This house was the headquarters of Major Lee, and 
several other American officers. Cornwallis and Grant, 
after driving Lincoln to the mountain on April 13, 
1777, took breakfast at Van Horn's. Simcoe on his 
raid through Bound Brook, on October 26, 1777, stop- 
ped at this house, hoping to capture Col. Moyland, an 
American officer, who had married one of Van Horn's 
daughters. The Duke De Chastellaux, Maj. Gen. of 
the French army, at one time dined with Philip Van 
Horn. Van Horn, though very hospitable, was not a 
true patriot. Washington had him arrested, and com- 
pelled him to promise allegiance to the American 
cause. Van Horn had five beautiful daughters, who 
were a special source of attraction to the young army 
officers. Two of his daughters married American 
officers during the war. After the Revolution the 
property was sold, and the family moved away. 

The most highly prized of all our First Houses of 
Bound Brook, is the 

STAATS HOUSE 

In South Bound Brook, now owned by Cornelius W. 



First Houses of Bound Brook. 27 

La Tourette, and occupied by himself and family, and 
Amos Mc Donald and wife. In the frontispiece may 
be seen a picture taken from a photograph of the 
building as it now exists. The central part of this 
house is the original. The old fashioned doable doors 
with the bull's-eye glasses; the window sashes and 
panes; the roof; the broad stairway; the low ceilings 
with heavy hewn beams; the wide fireplaces, all show 
us that this is an ancient building. It is the only 
house in this vicinity where you can really feel amid 
its architecture and interior adornments that you are 
back in the early days of the nation. In this house 
you may feast your eyes on its wealth of revolutionary 
relics. Here you can look upon oil paintings of those 
true American patriots, Abraham Staats, and his wife, 
in their quaint Dutch dress. You may be honored by 
sitting in the very chairs that once held Washington 
and his amiable wife, and many of the distinguished 
men of the Revolution. You may walk upon the same 
rugs they walked upon, look upon the same ornaments 
and pictures, and even quaff the elixir of life from 
vessels that were old when Washington was young. 
The old Staats house is indeed an ancient relic, worthy 
to be highly prized. It was here that Baron Steuben, 
Maj. Gen. of the American forces, had his headquart- 
ers while the army lay in camp on the mountain side. 
Abraham Staats, who resided here during the Revolu- 
tion, was always true to the cause of Liberty. The 
British and Tories were his bitter enemies, but al- 
though they used every effort to capture him, they 
never could succeed, for their plans were always re- 
vealed by a slave Jack, who though a Tory, and 
mingled freely with the British learning all their se- 
crets, yet he was faithful to his master. This house 
was built as early as 1700, by a man named Staats, 
who at that date was living here. It afterward was 
owned by his son, and by him sold to Abraham Staats 
some time before the Revolution, with three hundred 
acres of land. 



28 First Houses of Bound Brook. 

From the earliest history of Bound Brook, one of 
the prominent buildings has been the old 

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 

Tradition says that the first church was of logs, and 
was in the willows near the river. On the present 
grounds there have been three buildings used for 
church purposes. The first was built in 1725, and was 
used until 1760; after 1742, it was also used during the 
week for school purposes. This stood a short distance 
west of the present building. In 1760, a building was 
erected on the same site of the present church. Part 
of the money for its erection was secured by a lottery. 
This church building stood through the Revolution. 
It retained, until its destruction in 1829, many marks 
of the bullets. This church contained 70 pews. The 
seats were unpainted, with straight backs and without 
cushions. The floor was without carpets. There was 
no ceiling, but the building was open to the roof. The 
pulpit was a huge box with a door on the east side. 
Above it was a large sounding board. The seats for 
the elders were on each side of the pulpit. This 
building was taken down, and the present structure 
erected, in 1829. This building was struck by light- 
ning in 1851. When the necessary repairs were made, 
the church was also enlarged by the addition of 
twelve feet to the south end, and an entire new front. 

Thus I have imperfectly sketched the houses of 
Bound Brook up to the Revolution. I have been 
careful in verifying dates, names and locations. I 
have not put too much faith in tradition, or in the 
erring memory of individuals. Some may think that 
I have failed to mention all of the first houses. But 
I have mentioned all for which I had substantial 
proof of their existence before 1775. These old 
houses should be to us precious memorials of the 
historic days, of which we have no reason to be 
ashamed, either of our town or our ancestors who 
dwelt here. Men may take long pilgrimages to visit 
the birth-places of poets, artists or statesmen. We 



First Houses of Bound Brook. 29 



have houses here more worthy of veneration, for here 
were born noble men, sons of Liberty, who gave their 
lives for the nation, and with that sacrifice chains 
were burst asunder, prison doors thrown open, and a 
nation came forth into freedom, equality and happi- 
ness. 



30 



First Houses of Bound Brook. 



LOCATIONS OF HOUSES. 

On the opposite page is a modern map showing the 
locations of the first houses erected within the limits 
of the present borough of Bound Brook. Below are 
given their names corresponding to the numbers on 
the map. 

Erected 
1683 
1720 
1752 
unknown 
unknown 
1700 
1700 
1700 
1720 
1720 
1720 
1700 
1746 
1750 
1720 
1720 
1744 
1700 
1744 
1744 
1765 
1720 
1746 
1742 
1725 
1744 
1698 
1744 
1744 
1777 
1744 
1684 
unknown 



No. 


Name. 


1. 


Codrington 


2. 


Anderson 


3. 


Morton 


4. 


McBride 


5. 


McKissack 


6. 


Merlett 


7. 


Fisher Hotel . 


8. 


Thompson . 


9. 


Bonney . 


10. 


Van Wagoner 


11. 


Van Court 


12. 


De Gfroot 


13. 


Cooper 


14. 


Hedden 


15. 


Harpending 


16. 


Prant 


17. 


Van Norden 


18. 


Cussart 


19. 


Stansbury 


20. 


Irvine 


21. 


Fisher 


22. 


Kiddle 


23. 


McEwer . 


24. 


School House 


25. 


Church 


26. 


Blackford . 


27. 


Jew 


28. 


Hude 


29. 


Williamson 


30. 


Block House 


31. 


Kelso 


32. 


Campbell 


33. 


Col. Staats 



First Houses of Bound Brook. 



31 




32 Washington Camp Ground Association. 



CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS 

OP THE 

Washington G am P 6 round Association. 



CONSTITUTION. 

Article I. Name. — This organization shall be called The 
Washington Camp Ground Association. 

Art. II. Object. — The object of this Association shall be to 
cultivate a spirit of patriotism, to maintain a memorial of George 
Washington and the Continental Army while encamped in our 
county during the winters of 1777-1778 and 17 78-1 7 79, and 
the collection and preservation of papers, documents, relics and 
objects of interest connected with the War of the Revolution. 

Art. III. Members. — Any man or woman may become a 
member of this Association by election. Honorary membership 
may be conferred on persons who have rendered special service 
to this Association. 

Art. IV. Officers. — The officers of this Association shall be 
a President, three Vice-Presidents, Secretary. Treasurer and a 
Board of Six Trustees. 

Art. V. Duties of Officers. — The President, who shall be ex 
officio a member of the Board of Trustees, shall preside at all 
meetings, and shall have a general care of the interests of the 
Association. The First Vice-President shall preside at any 
meeting in the absence of the President, and shall discharge the 
duties of that office during a vacancy. The Secretary shall keep 
a record of the acts and proceedings of the Association, and 
shall conduct the correspondence. The Treasurer shall collect 
and keep all funds belonging the Association, and shall only 
make such disbursements as shall be authorized by the Execu- 
tive Committee. The Board of Trustees shall be entrusted with 
the care and keeping of all papers, relics, etc., owned by the 
Association, and shall make an annual report of the collections 
during the year. The President, Secretary and Treasurer shall 
constitute an Executive Committee, who shall arrange for all 
celebrations, and direct all the expenditures of the Association. 

Art. VI. Meetings. — The annual meeting shall be held on 



Washington Camp Ground Association. 33 

the 22nd of February, or on the legal holiday observed as 
Washington's Birthday. Three additional meetings shall be 
held on the third Mondays of May, August and November. 
Special meetings may be called by the President. 

Art. VII. Election. — The election of officers shall be held at 
the annual meeting and shall be by ballot, a majority vote of 
all members present being necessary for an election. 

Art. VIII. Term of Office. — All the officers shall be elected 
only for one year, with the exception of the Board of Trustees 
who shall be elected for three years. At the first election, how- 
ever, two of the Trustees shall be elected for one year, and two 
for two years. 

Art. IX. Membership Fees. — Each member shall pay as dues 
one dollar each year in advance. 

Art. X. Quorum. — Ten members in good standing shall 
constitute a quorum. 



BY-LAWS. 

Art. I. The name of any person desiring membership may 
be proposed in any meeting by a member. 

Art. II. Honorary members will not be expected to pay 
annual dues. 

Art. III. No name will be enrolled until the annual dues 
are paid. 

Art. IV. Annual dues are to be paid in advance. If not 
paid within s.ix months the member shall be suspended. After 
one year without payment the name shall be erased from the 
roll. 

Art. V. All officers shall continue to perform the duties of 
their respective offices until their successors are chosen. 

Art. VI. All changes or amendments to the Constitution or 
By-Laws shall require two-thirds vote of all the members present. 



34 Washington Camp Ground Association. 



MEMBERS 

OF THE 

\Y)asbin^ton G am P 6 roun< ^ Kssoeiafion. 



OFFICERS. 
President — George La Monte. 

Vice-President — W. H. Whiting. 
Secretary — Gaius Hoffman. 

Treasurer — R. H. Brokaw. 

Musical Director — E. E. Shaw. 

Historian — T. E. Davis. 



Miss C. J. Allen, 
W. H. Alpaugh, 
Sylvanus Ayres, Jr., 
L. S. Bache, 
A. J. Bailey, 
Mrs. A. J. Bailey, 
Harry L. Bailey, 
J. W. Ballantine, 

F. S. Carr, 

D. D. Clark, Jr., 
John B. Coddington, 
T. H. S. Cone, 
Frederick Davey, 
Mrs. Frederick Davey, 
J. K. De Mott, 
C. R. P. Fisher, M. D., 
Field G. Garretson, 

G. De Witt Garretson, 
Herbert Harney, 

H. G. Herbert, 
Taylor W. Jelliffe, 
Hon. W. J. Keys, 
Ransom Lamb, 
Mrs. Ransom Lamb, 
Hon. George La Monte, 
Miss C. B. La Monte, 
George M. La Monte, 



W. H. Ayres, 

Mrs. W. H. Ayres, 

J. J. Bach, 

M. W. Baxter, 

P. V. Bergen, 

R. H. Brokaw, 

Mrs. R. H. Brokaw, 

Charles Byer, Jr., 

L. S. Cook, 

A. S. Coriell, 

Mrs. A. S. Coriell, 

C. E. Dunham, 

E. T. Davis, M. D., 

Mrs. E. T. Davis, 

C. P. Fraleigh, 

A. E. Giddes, 

Wm. Griscom, Jr., 

H. M. Herbert, 

J. E. Hillpot, 

Gaius Hoffman, 

W. G. Killmer, 

C. H. Libbey, 

J. I. Livingston, 

Mrs. J. I. Livingston, 

Mrs. George La Monte, 

Robt. R. La Monte, 

Andrew Lane, 



Washington Camp Ground Association. 35 



E. D. La Tourette, 
W. B. R. Mason, 
Mrs. W. B. R. Mason, 
Walter Mc Bride, 
James Mc Donald, 
Charles Mc Nabb, 
John Olendorf, 
P. H. Oakley, 
C. H. Perry, 
W. H. Peeples, 
O. B. Reynolds, 
L. A. Riffert, 
Wm. Schure, 
M. W. Scully, 
Mrs. M. W. Scully, 

E. E. Shaw, 
Mrs. E. E. Shaw, 
W. W. Smalley, 
John G. Smith, 
John G. Smith, Jr., 
Peter H. Smith, 
Charles Tappen, 
W. J. Taylor, 
Mrs. W. J. Taylor, 
Mrs. Anna L. Voorhees, 

F. N. Voorhees, 
W. H. Whiting, 
Mrs. W. H. Whiting, 
Irving S. Whiting, 



A. W. W. Mapes, 
James Mc Nabb, 
Mrs. James Mc Nabb, 
George Mollison, 
H. L. Moore, 
W. S. Negus, 
Mrs. John Olendorf, 
W. H. Powelson, 
Mrs. C. H. Perry, 
R. A. Ross, 
John Rowland, 
P. J. Staats, 
R. R. Stelle, 
George Stryker, 
Gilbert B. Stryker, 
Peter Stryker, 
Willis Stryker, 
H. C. Suydam, 
R. H. Swayze, 
Mrs. R. H. Swayze, 
Knox Taylor, 
C. W. Thomae, 
C. H. Tucker, 
John D. Voorhees, 
James Vosseller, 
John Vosseller, 
Ralph D. Whiting, 
T. C. Whitlock, 
C. M. Woods, Jr., 
L. A. Zohe. 



HONORARY MEMBERS. 



Rev. J. B. Cleaver, 
Mrs. J. B. Cleaver, 
Rev. T. E. Davis, 
Mrs. T. E. Davis, 
Rev. L. B. Goodrich, 
Mrs. L. B. Goodrich, 
Rev. A. H. Lewis, D. D. 



Rev. H. B. MacCauley, 
Rev. A. M. Mann, 
Rev. F. A. Mason, 
Mrs. F. A. Mason, 
Rev. A. S. Phelps, 
Mrs. A. S. Phelps, 
J. Newton Voorhees. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




